During use of a portable computing device resting on a desk or other horizontal surface, the keyboard and I/O ports of the computing device can allow a spilled liquid to enter into the interior of the device. If some measure is not taken to prevent the spilled liquid from flowing through these openings, the liquid can reach system electronics including circuit boards, processors, drives, and the like that are critical to the operation of the computing device. When liquid reaches these components, an electrical short can be created, severely damaging the electronics.
One method of preventing spilled liquid from creating an electrical short can include sealing off openings in the keyboard and I/O ports from underlying system electronics or creating structures to divert spilled liquid from the openings to a location in the computer where the liquid will not cause an electrical short. However, these methods can be ineffective when large amounts of liquid are spilled. Moreover, the addition of seals and diverting structures can increase the cost, size, and weight of the portable computing device in which they are included. Another method of preventing spilled liquid from creating an electrical short involves placing one or more sensors within the computing device that can sense when liquid is present and cut power to the device. However, this method can result in unwanted losses of power. For instance, the sensors can be triggered by small amounts of liquid, moisture, or spills in non-critical areas. This can lead to an unnecessary loss of data when the computing device shuts down unnecessarily.
Therefore, what is desired is a way of sensing whether a particular spill is likely to cause damage to the system electronics of a portable computing device and causing the computer to take the best course of action depending on the amount and location of the spilled liquid.